British woman jailed in Iran ‘dreams of watching daughter play’

NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN

A British-Iranian woman jailed in Tehran for allegedly plotting to topple the government has told how she dreams of watching her husband and their two-year-old daughter playing.

Ahead of the first anniv­ersary of her detention, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe described her wish to see the pair dancing to Michael Jackson in “the middle of our sitting-room”.

The 38-year-old was arrested at Tehran Airport on 3 April while visiting family in Iran with daughter Gabriella.

She was imprisoned for five years in September and lost an appeal against her sentence in January but maintains her innocence. Her husband Richard said it had been a “long year of separation, a year of our lives interrupted”.

The Free Nazanin Campaign said Zaghari-Ratcliffe had still not been shown her charge sheet following the appeal or what she has been convicted of.

Gabriella is being looked after by family in Iran.

Today – the 365th day since the arrest – family and friends will gather at Fortune Green, close to Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s home in Hampstead, London.

Supporters will tie yellow ribbons to a tree in the park along with quotes from inmates at Evin prison in Iran, where Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being held, describing what they would do with one day of freedom.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s wish reads: “My fondest dream has always been to arrive at our home, you ask me if I want to have a cup of tea, then make me one.

“I just sit back and watch you two play. This is the image I had most when in solitary confinement. How I wish I could watch you both dance in the middle of our sitting room to the Michael Jackson music – like when Gabriella was only tiny.”